Page 44 of The Best Kind of Forever
Oh my God. I can’t believe I just said that aloud.
He pauses to think, then eventually shakes his head. “Not that I know of.”
Whew. That’s a good thing, right? I should be relieved, so why do I still feel so…yucky? Maybe my body’s subconsciously projecting from the gross aftertaste that my father left with his half-assed rumors. Hayes didn’t sleep with a sponsor’s daughter, and he’s definitely not using me to better his image. Case closed, never to be reopened for as long as I live.
I open my mouth to blubber about how stupid I was, but Bristol cuts me off.
“I’ve been where you are. Your fears and doubts are valid. I don’t know how much Hayes has told you, but he got out of a two-year relationship about six months ago. She was a self-made influencer, and the only reason she was with him was to piggyback off his fame. He found out the hard way when he caught her cheating.”
I hadn’t realized how hurt Hayes must have felt from that betrayal. When he brought it up to me at the game, I don’t think I fully grasped the extent of how badly this girl fucked him over. And now I feel like a piece of shit for letting some unsubstantiated rumor get to me.
“If you decide to go ahead and ask him, I don’t think he’d be mad at you. I think he’d feel bad for making you worry, or for giving you that impression. Yeah, he’s a bit of a ladies’ man, but I really think he’s trying to change for that special someone. For you, maybe.”
The twinge of panic that had been rippling through me is nothing but a lusterless hum now. “Thank you, Bristol. For talking me down from the ledge.”
“Of course. You’re family now. The guys and I will always be here if you need us.”
I lunge into Bristol and wrap my arms around him in a bear hug, genuinely meaning it with every fiber of my being. The slight breath I punch out of him dissolves into a chuckle, and he returns my embrace with a tight squeeze.
“Aeris?” The husky timbre of a deep voice kisses my ears, and it’s second nature for me to register the handsome face behind the equally seductive drawl.
I pull back from the hug, homing in on the sight of Hayes dressed in a blue button-down and tight-fitting pants. A jacket is folded over his arm, and his hair is free of product, fringing down the sides of his temples.
Instead of greeting him like a sane person, I run at him and jump into his arms, meshing my lips to his. He sighs into my mouth, his arms tightening around me, and the hungry pressure from my tongue draws his out from its hiding place.
When we pull away, he’s flushed.
“What was that for?” he pants.
“I missed you,” I tell him, my calves straining from standing on my tiptoes. He cranks his neck down to look me in the eyes.
He fingers a wisp of my hair, brushing his knuckles against my cheekbone. “You came to my house to tell me you missed me?”
I beam from ear to ear, probably lighting up brighter than the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. “I’d cross the ocean to tell you I missed you.”
A smile adorns his mouth, warmth crystallizing in his eyes.
“Come on. Let’s go upstairs.” He leads me by the hand, nodding to Bristol as he makes a beeline for his room, practically dislodging my arm from its socket with the way he’s pulling me.
Once we’re out of ear and eyesight, he locks the door, breathing a sigh of relief.
I’m about to question why we were moving atFast and Furiousspeed, but then I glance down at the huge boner he’s sporting, and everything falls into place.
“You do unspeakable things to me, Aeris Relera,” he says huskily, pulling me flush against his body.
My heart’s doing a fifty-yard dash in my chest, and my vision spins with a solar system of stars. I adjust my hips slightly, allowing his ever-growing erection to nestle against my stomach.
“Use your words, Hayes Hollings,” I purr, my voice as soft as buttercream.
His fingers come down roughly on my sides, and he skates his teeth together, his features tightening like the drawstring of a bow. The muscles in his upper body ripple under his shirt as he tries to leash the last bit of his self-control.
“Let’s just say that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that sweet fucking nectar between your legs, and I can’t wait until I’m nose-deep inside your gorgeous pussy again—until I can wear your scent like my new favorite cologne.”
20
THE SADDEST EYES ARE THE PRETTIEST
HAYES
